Seriously, losing weight takes practice, forming healthy habits, and making better overall life decisions. It isn't eating three stalks of asparagus and having water with lemon in it. It's not eating 320 calories every 2.25 hrs. It's none of that.

Below are 14 tips that will ramp up how much fat you burn off. There aren't magical pills you can take, there's no cream or wrap... It's just hard work and consistency.

Creatine for fat loss?

14 Fat Burning Tips

What you eat, how much you eat, and how much you move affect your body. You are the way you are because of the decisions in life you've made.

Let's change it.

#1 - Don't "Diet"

Looking for the next new diet is never going to end well. They will manipulate your macros so that you lose all of your muscle glycogen and water weight.

Now you're 20 pounds down in two weeks like they promised, but now what? You'll gain it all back.

So, instead of thinking of the word "diet" as a temporary change, approach this in a permanent manner.

Sure, dropping a few pounds to go on vacation is one thing, but it never just stays off.

#2 - Get Rid of Empty Calories

It takes 3500 calories to equal a pound. Whether you've eaten a 3,500 surplus or deficit, you're either going to gain a pound or lose it.

There are about 880 calories in a 64-ounce cup of Mountain Dew. How many of those do you unknowingly guzzle down during work and lunch?

Calories add up, so getting rid of the calories that don't provide you with any nutrition is the first huge step to becoming a fat-burning monster.

#3 - Eat Plenty of Protein

Protein is full of nutritious (and tasty) fats, amino acids and creatine. Getting plenty of protein in your food will help you stay fuller for longer.

Eating until you have the meat sweats probably isn't a good idea, but being mindful of serving size and the way it was prepared is. No, you don't have to have protein in every meal, no you can eat more than 30 grams in one serving, and yes you can supplement with a high-quality protein supplement.

#4 - Try Spicy Foods

Like spicy foods? Did you know that eating a tablespoon of red or green chilis can boost your metabolism temporarily by about 23 percent?

Seriously, put Frank's hot sauce on everything. They know what they are doing.

#5 - Try Coffee or Tea

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, so your daily java jolt can rev your metabolism 5 to 8 percent - about 98 to 174 calories a day. A cup of brewed tea can raise your metabolism by 12 percent, according to one Japanese study. Researchers believe the antioxidant catechins in tea provide the boost.

Any stimulant will help with the loss of energy you will have when cutting calories.

#6 - Eat Plenty Nutritious Fats

Wait, you mean you're supposed to eat fats? Believe it or not, the whole "don't eat fats because it makes you fat" is so full of BS.

The monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, as well as the omega three essential fatty acid fats, are extremely important to your health. We're not talking about the donuts and other foods fried in saturated oil.

Start including olive oil, more meats, real butter, and real sour cream into your diet to benefit. None of the "low fat" (high sugar) crap. Fats are dense with calories, so be mindful when adding them to dishes.

#7 - Don't Be Afraid of Carbohydrates

Another misconception is that eating carbohydrates automatically makes you fat. Again, this is false.

Healthy carbohydrates like rice and high fiber foods are great for your health and digestive system. Sugar and other highly processed carbohydrates are the troublemakers.

A bowl of oatmeal with honey in the morning and some rice for lunch and dinner won't make you fat. Donuts, pizzas and mac and cheese will. See the difference?

#8 - Eat More Fiber

Along with healthy carbs and nutritious fats, getting more fiber in your diet always helps. Your colon can be filled with at least 10 pounds of fecal matter. You keep piling on crap food after crap food, and you end up full of crap.

Eating more fiber will help keep you full throughout the day and will help your stomach become more regular.

Eating some high fiber fruits and veggies as snacks throughout the day will keep you full and take up a few calories.

#9 - Stay Hydrated

When is the last time you had some water? Are you thirsty right now? Many of us stay in a state of slight dehydration. A small one to three percent dehydration causes excess water weight, sluggishness, and overall worsened performance.

How do you know if you are dehydrated?

You'll be extremely thirsty

You won't pee as frequently

Your urine will be darker colored

You'll have more fatigue

You'll also experience dizziness and confusion the more severely dehydrated you get

#10 - Try Intermittent Fasting

I've mentioned this in other articles, but intermittent fasting has changed my life. Intermittent fasting, in a nutshell, is fasting for a set amount of hours and then eating for a set amount of hours. The usual setup would be 18 hours of fasting and 6 hours of eating.

While this sounds unbearable, skipping your breakfast would be all it takes. Wait, isn't breakfast the most important part of your day? I'd have to disagree.

I currently run a 20-hour fasting window and a 4-hour eating window and I love it. Most of my day I worry about everything other than eating. It keeps my food anxiety low, and it helps with binge and emotional eating.

I highly recommend you look into it. You can check out more about intermittent fasting here.

#11 - Try Moving Around More

Everyone complains they don't have time to exercise yet they spend 15 minutes at Wal-mart trying to find the closest possible spot to park. Try parking back in the parking lot and taking a walk. Those extra steps add up.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator, do some jumping jacks when you wake up. Make multiple trips around your house.

Every step counts, and every time your heart rate is elevated, it helps.

#12 - Utilize HIIT Cardio

Not a fan of cardio? Try high-intensity interval training.

HIIT is a great stress reliever, it helps you burn a lot of calories fast, and it also improves your heart health. If you can't go up a flight of stairs or walk out to your mailbox without getting winded, HIIT is just for you.

Next time you take a walk or hop on a treadmill, try running or going as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Walk for 15 to 20 seconds and push another burst of running.

The intervals don't matter as much right now since your conditioning may be poor. Strive to get faster, go longer, and take shorter rest periods in between.

#13 - Lift Weights

I shouldn't have to say this, but lifting weights burns calories; even after you've stopped lifting.

Find a workout routine that you can follow and be as consistent as possible.

There are so many benefits of resistance training in regards to weight loss that I can't list them here, but check out our other articles.

#14 - Go to Bed Earlier

When we sleep, our bodies put that energy to rebuilding muscles, digesting food, and repairing any injuries or weakness.

If you don't get enough quality sleep, it eventually catches up to you. Ever wonder why you have those 14 hours of sleep on Friday night? Your body really did need it.

Wrapping It Up

Being fat sucks, trust me, I know.

Crafting a healthier diet, moving around more, lifting some weights, and getting enough sleep all play a part in weight loss.

While you can manipulate a lot of factors, consistently eating nutritious foods instead of fast food, moving around instead of sitting and watching Netflix, and making better overall life decisions will start melting fat away.

Make it a point to change your habits and help your friends and family do the same. You'll enjoy life much more.

I’m a passionate writer with a knack for powerlifting. I believe in old-school techniques and I think that good old-fashioned hard work pays off better than any magic formula for training. I write for many websites and run Cutty Strength which is my website about powerlifting.

I have a no-nonsense approach to training and I want to see my readers gain valuable knowledge to help them train smarter, harder, and achieve the results they want.

My goal is to have a career in the fitness industry and I am doing whatever it takes to get there.

* Tiger Fitness does not imply any medical advice in this article. There are no guarantees of specific results and results may vary. Please consult your family Dr. before starting any diet or training program.